back to the real world: Hunter part VII

Hunter opens his eyes.

he is back on his room. he tries to stand up as he falls on the ground. he walks slowly towards the bathroom. in there he looks at his long orange beard. he looks at his long hair. he has some nasty marks under his eyes.

Hunter coughs blood. he takes some scissors as he starts to cut his hair slowly and calmly. behind of him is standing the Ferryman looking at him like a shadow that follows its owner until his death.

Hunter doesn't care anymore about the presence of the 'demon' that terrorizes him on his sleep and on the day. he has zero energy to deal with overvalued things like fear.

Hunter screams ferociously with all his strength like a wild animal marking his territory. he isn't trying to scare others. he is trying to remind himself of what he has to do and what he is becoming for the well being of the only person who has been like a brother to him.

"what are you doing?"

said Ferryman with a sinister smile.

"nothing important, I am not going to let the fear to take over my body. I am going to fight against you with all my rage. I am going to fight till the end. I ain't giving up, not until I win this battle at least. I have so much to do."

said Hunter as he seems to be lost on his mind.

"what does the lamb does in front of a pack of wolves?"

Ferryman said something random trying to intimidate him.

"I have found something fun. there is this man I have been following lately, if my theory isn't wrong. then I may find something truly worth the waiting."

said Hunter talking to himself.

Hunter washes his face and head. he changes his clothing. he takes a camera and he leaves in a hurry. he keeps looking at his watch every four minutes.

Hunter is breathing heavily as he keeps walking. every step is more steady and shorter than the previous step. the breeze gives a change of tone to the day.

Hunter knows that the Ferryman is following him, he is keeping a close eye on him. if Hunter does something stupid he might die before it is his time. he has to act on a smart way if he wishes to fulfill his promise to his bro.

Hunter puts his hand on his chest. he pulls his t-shirt. he is feeling his own heartbeats. Hunter looks back, there is no one, there is nothing. he looks in front of him to see the Ferryman looking at him with a creepy smile.

"you are about to do something forbidden, aren't you?"

said Ferryman with rage.

for a moment Hunter felt danger, for a moment he suspected that maybe he commit a mistake and the Ferryman knows about his plans. he keeps thinking as he walks slower and every step he takes becomes weaker.

"am I right? don't worry I won't punish you for been curious. it was meant to happen, for someone to discover this tiny, little secret about the system of the game... after all you can't create a soul-sucking-portal without few technical difficulties."

said the Ferryman with a creepy smile.

Hunter feels confuse. 'was he right after all?' he is starting to think about many possible meanings to the words of that deity. 'can he be playing with me?.... or is he really just letting me run wild because I am a dying pet to him?' the questions, the possible definitions, and the possible interpretations, all are put aside when a last question comes to his mind, 'is he trying to give me some information?'

Hunter looks behind of him. he then looks at the sides. people are walking while Hunter is there standing looking at the nothingness (on the eyes of normal mortals.) Hunter starts to whisper something for which other humans assume that he is crazy.

Hunter looks at Ferryman on the eyes. there are many things that he wants to ask. 'if this Deity is willing to answer questions on his own way, then I am not losing anything by just asking basic questions to solve my problems.'

"I am following this guy. on his days of glory he was one of the greatest on his field. now he is a middle-age man trying to find a way to survive. I have my suspicion, but before the event I followed him and there were some things that I found suspicious."

said Hunter without revealing too much information.

"if you are thinking what I think you are thinking, then you are absolutely right."

said the Ferryman with an emotionless facial expression.

Hunter is speechless. he is thinking about many things. he then looks at the man he was describing walking out of a store. Hunter follows him carefully trying to not be too obvious. Hunter keeps thinking about Ferryman's words as he concentrates in what he is doing. he then stops and then he falls on the floor.

"what are you doing. I give you what you wanted. why don't you show some gratitude towards me. a thanks will be enough."

"sorry, it is just that all of this things that are happening. so many things for me to process on a whole year, I face one thing, before I can accept it, then another thing happens. I am so lost on this."

Hunter was clearly confuse and desperate. the Ferryman was enjoying the little act of entertainment that Hunter has become to him.

Hunter doesn't know at which hour, but at some point he fall asleep. he was on the streets unconscious. later he woke up on his bed with Ferryman at his side like a good 'friend.' waiting for him to wake up.

just like that the days went off. there were some days in which Hunter will sign on the game. there were other days in which he was so tired from his investigation that he would fall asleep at any hour, at any place, with no care for his well being.

a month later-

Hunter wakes up. he stands up. he enters on the internet as he starts to search for possible cases that can be linked to those who becomes 'Offerings.'

Hunter finds on the internet a person who seems to know something about the 'Gods' and their 'farm of sacrifices.'

[information about Son of Sun: 'Farm of Sacrifices' is the term that some Deities use to call the game. 'the mentally awaken flock' is the name they use to call the humans.]

Hunter sends a message to that guy. he takes his car keys. he goes outside. he decides to go around of the city. he is driving peacefully.

Ferryman is at his side telling him some tales from Rome's days of glory. there are thousands of stories that Ferryman knows. there are stories of which he knows different versions, but he never tells Hunter which version is the real one.

"you know what? I am losing my mind."

said Hunter.

for a moment Ferryman is silent. he looks at Hunter, then he looks in front of himself. he has seen many mortals on his life, but Hunter is something especial and different from the rest and that is why he likes him.

Ferryman has seen mentally-unstable people denying their mental estate. there were people who on tears accepted their mental struggle. Hunter is the first one to accept that his mind is breaking without been affected by it.

"is it because of me? or is it for your friend?"

asked the Ferryman out of curiosity.

Hunter tries to think in the answer. he takes his time as he keeps thinking about which could be the right answer. then he looks at ferryman as he whispers.

the Ferryman laughs for a moment. when he sees that Hunter was been honest, the Ferryman apologizes.Hunter is looking at the streets at night. the sky is darker than the darkest abyss. Hunter smiles nervously.

"this is a fuck up world, isn't it?"

said Hunter with teary eyes.

"I don't see the same thing that you see, even when we look at the same thing, our answer will be different. not for the experience with life, but simply because I am an immortal being and you are a mortal."

said Ferryman.

Hunter laughs. when he was younger there were many things on his heart. there was a point in which he felt envy of the Deities' immortality. now he feels pity for those same beings. how lonely & broken can become a being that has lived since the origins of the times. a being that ancient may feel some bitterness by not been able to perish like most creatures of the world. their lives may be miserable.

"do you want to have a drink? I pay for it."

"I am not sure. I am been watch by other Deities, so it can be risky. let me think on the right answer before you arrive at the bar."

Hunter puts a cigar on his mouth. he coughs blood. he looks at Ferryman with suspicion. 'is my time already coming?' Hunter asks himself.

'this is impossible. I still have some time before my own death.' was thinking Hunter while his eyes are on the road. it starts to rain outside. Hunter looks at the moon for a moment. the moon is as bright and gorgeous as ever.

"so what are you going to do to my soul once my time is over? if you don't want to talk about it, it is okay. it is just, that we never talked about it."

Hunter is feeling anxious and nervous. he thinks that maybe he has to stay quiet. he looks at Ferryman who is holding a book with the names of all those who are going to die tonight.

some of those names belongs to souls that other Deities from other beliefs/ mythologies will take. there are names of those who are going to the game. and there are names of mortals that Ferryman will send to the other side.

"I am not sure if I want to keep killing mortals just for my eternal life. is it really worth it when I become a slave to this cycle of blood?"

the Ferryman closes his book. he looks at Hunter on the eyes. none of them makes a single sound. Hunter looks in front of himself thinking if he should say something.

the Ferryman laughs nervously thinking that maybe he said something that he shouldn't have said. he knows that it is too late to say 'never mind.' he looks at the other cars and the people on the streets. it is all so quiet.

"why don't you help my friend to destroy the system that your kind has created? only then you will truly become free."

"no, it is too late for that. remember that there is a difference in between you mortals and us Deities. you all die so easily. it will be pointless to sacrifice my own kind for a species that was meant to be extinct from the beginning."

after a while they arrive at the bar.

it was mostly empty. there were some guys who seemed to be employees of a big company. it was easy to tell by just looking at their suits. they all seem to be depress for all the overworking and lack of happiness in their personal life.

there is an old man who is drinking like if there is no tomorrow. for what he says is possible that he is crying for the lost of his wife and the lost of his one kid.

there was a man who seems to be poor, he was sitting next to a guy who seems to be filthy rich. both guys were talking about the same struggle. their wives are being unfaithful to them with other men. the wife of the poor guy was behind the money of some 'friend.' the wife of the other guy was behind the 'love' of a 'friend.'